A Romantic Proposal

Iarbas was furious. He had been outwitted—by a woman. She had turned his polite refusal into a challenge and won. He had no choice but to concede to the agreement he had made with her under the watchful eye of the sky god. He felt as though an arm had been taken from him, so firmly was he wedded to the land. Yet, he admitted, to himself at least, that part of him was attracted to this green-eyed beauty who had taken his proposition and turned it to her advantage. What a team they would make!

Iarbas knew there were two ways to overpower an encroaching tribe: by warfare or by marriage. Defeating a woman in warfare would prove no great honor. Besides, she had with her a general and an admiral, and for all he knew, she might have access to an army or a fleet of naval forces. Iarbas imagined himself in her place. Surely, she would see their union as a step toward establishing a great legacy. But even if she thought it a good idea, she would negotiate with the greatest advantage to her people in mind, just as he would do for his. Iarbas decided to take a subtle first step. He called his messenger boy.

“Bring a pair of partridges, male and female, ones with bright eyes and shining plumage.”

The boy brought the partridges. Their beaks were red, their eyes were ringed with orange, and their wings were barred black, white, and brown against their plump, gray bodies. Their neck ruffs looked like a scattering of bright white stars against a night sky. It wasn’t for their beauty but for their sensual mating ritual that Iarbas selected these particular birds, a performance in which the male danced and bowed to the female, followed by his gallant guarding of their territory while she prepared the nest. The Queen would be charmed by the gift, he imagined, and would open her heart to courtship. He called for an emissary to deliver the birds to the hill.

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